Leader: Sally Walters bajaowl AT gmail.com; Phil and Pat Gordon pagpeg AT aol.com

In years past, the late Don Schmoldt would lead us around the Sutter Buttes and Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in winter. Please join us for a memorial field trip in his honor. Don’s wife, Sally, will be there with some photos to share at lunch.  In the morning, we’ll drive along West Butte Road looking for Golden Eagles, falcons, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks and Mountain Bluebirds.  In 2012, we saw an immature Bald Eagle and a Prairie Falcon in these hills and Sandhill Cranes in the wetlands a little farther along.  At Gray Lodge, we’ll have a picnic lunch, then walk along a dirt road to observe wintering geese and ducks in the afternoon. Eurasian Wigeon is a possibility. Bring water, snacks, and lunch.  Please note: the last restrooms before Gray Lodge are at the service station at the corner of Acacia Avenue and Highway 20, about one mile south of our meeting place, or at the fast food restaurants several miles east of Acacia Avenue along Highway 20.  Meet at 9:00 AM in the parking lot at the northwest corner of the intersection of South Butte Road and Acacia Avenue in Sutter. From the Bay Area, go east on I-80 to Davis, then north on SR-113 (turns into South George Washington Blvd. near Yuba City).  Turn left on SR-20, then right on Acacia Avenue to South Butte Road.  Sutter is about 7 miles west of Yuba City. An alternate route is to take I-5 to Sacramento and go north on SR-99. At Yuba City take SR-20 west, turn right on Acacia Road to South Butte Road.  The drive is approximately 130 miles from Hayward; plan on 2 /2 hours.  Hard rain cancels. Almost all birding is from the car or standing on the roadside; most is wheelchair accessible.  A DFG land pass, good for one year, is required per person at Gray Lodge.  The pass costs $4.32 and may not be available at Gray Lodge the day of the field trip.  OAS will purchase passes in advance for participants who RSVP by January 23, 2016 to pagpeg AT aol.com.  Please bring exact change to reimburse OAS for your pass(es) on the day of the field trip.  If you prefer, and if you allow 15 days in advance, you can purchase your CDFW land pass online.  To purchase a pass online or to see a list of licensing agents go to https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/lands-pass.